Okay... so I'm reading about how the hatches have started and Elkmont is heating up. Obviously, I had to check it out for myself. I spent the better part of this afternoon and evening at Elkmont. While I didn't see anything remotely resembling a "hatch", I did see a few bugs coming off at about 5:00 pm today. However, I did have some success drifting a new nymph through some fast water both up the Little River Trail and below Elkmont near the infamous "Pampers" slot. I tried about a dozen dry/dropper combinations, solo dries, solo nymphs and double nymph combinations.

Caught a few rainbows in succession, all 7" - 8" and feeding in relatively fast water off the bottom, and all on a new pattern my son introduced me to. It's called a Pogo and it's a breeze to tie. You can check it out here:http://flyfishing.hook.tv/Clip.aspx?...3B9A3B9B450E39

I'm thinking about toying with it a bit, adding a copper or gold rib... but, on the other hand, why mess with success??

Still waiting for the prolific spring hatches so I can start throwing dries again. Here's a pretty good example of the early mountain bows.

Cool post. Fascinating premisis using a weighted fly and buyant foam as a sort of counter balace. I bet that foam catches alot of water sunk down deep on that weighted fly and creates alot of action. Pogo sticking across the bottom. I don't know what kind of dubbing he was using but I wonder if wrapping in some CDC into the fly would create little more "liveliness"? I'm thinking a good fly tier could take the idea and make lrg. variety of flies based on this. I'd also be curious if playing with creating different shapes via the foam might be able to give the fly a little more wiggle with the already up and down action its getting. Very cool & thanks for the post. I've got to get better at fly tying so I can start to experiment a little.

Is it me, or does every brown trout in NZ look like its more than 24" long...The shot of the shadow emerging in the lake to take the fly is first-rate...

Gerry, it looks like you and Brett are going to start this year's version of the "Daniel's Caddis". How did you tie your version of the Pogo? The video looks like partridge for the tail, a rusty red dubbing for the body and a brown foam for the wingcase on a #18 hook.

Did you do the same or have you already created a secret version of the Smoky Mtn Pogo?

I varied my presentation somewhat and switched around some during the afternoon, but all were caught using the same setup. I added about 3' of 7x Seaguar tippet to my leader, tied on 14 Doc's Cork, dropped a Pogo about 18" off the bend of the Doc's Cork. I then added some small split shot about 8" - 10" above the Pogo.

I tried a variety of dries for an indicator and I tried a variety of dries alone, including Quill Gordons and some tiny Blue Quills. The wind may this a little difficult at times but I had no surface hits all afternoon. It seems they only wanted the Pogo.

Again, I should point out that I was fishing some pretty fast water. That's why I'm thinking about adding a tiny gold wire rib to give it a bit of flash. This thing, when it's tied right, presents a nice profile - especially when you pick out some of the thorax dubbing to resemble legs.

Gerry,
Have you had any more luck with the pogo and your varius setups?
I am going to swing by LRO today and get some foam to tie with. This fly looks like it will be fun to use.
In the video they show the pogo a little bit more suspended sub-surface.
Are you keeping your fly a little more towards the bottom, or is there enough boyance with the foam to keep it up higher?
I guess the split shots were needed since you were fishing faster water?

I was considering using some different dubbing colors more common in the smokies. Is that what you have been trying as well.
Thanks for the advice.
-Ben